Hat



June 9, 1942.

HAT

Filed Nov. 19, 1940 IN VEN TOR.

BY l ezzr Attorney 5. HAMERSHLAG I 2,286,086 h Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 19, 1940, Serial No. 366,209

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wearing apparel, particularly to hats.

One of the difficulties encountered in the sale of hats is the necessity of keeping a complete stock of all sizes so that customers may not be lost because of failure to have the particular hat size of the patron who may otherwise be entirely satisfied with the hat selected. Also, changes in atmospheric conditions cause shrinkage and expansion in hats, which makes them fit tighter or looser than when sold, this likewise causing customer dissatisfaction. The resulting shrinkage of the hat after exposure to the elements causes it to become so tight to the head of the wearer that the blood vessels may be constricted and headaches and other ailments result. There is also a natural expansion of the head size due to the growth of hair, and this makes for an increasingly tighter fit.

An important object of this invention is to obtain a hat which may be adjusted to any head size when sold to patrons.

A further object of this invention is to obtain a hat in which the effect of atmospheric conditions on the size and fit of the hat may be obstriction of the blood vessels of the scalp or head. 1

A further object of the invention is to obtain a hat the use of which may be shared by several persons of different head size and-shape.

A further object of the invention is to enable dealers to satisfy their patrons varying hat size requirements without carrying a complete line of individual hat sizes.

A further object of the invention is to adapt a felt hat for adjustable head size without placing any damaging stress upon the felt itself.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

Figure l is a rear elevational view of a hat embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detailed view in section on the line A-A looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail View in section on the line B-B' looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the invention may be applied to a beret type hat which may be formed from a single felt hat blank. The hat thus comprises an upper crown portion 6, a lower crown portion I, a band portion 8, and a band surface covering I of silk or other suitable material, which covers the inner and outer surfaces of the band portion 8, the inner surface being tightly stitched to the covering I while the outer surface of the band portion 8 is merely loosely stitched or tacked to the outer surface covering. To construct the hat, a felt blank is taken and formed in the usual manner into an upper crown portion 6, a lower crown portion I, and a band portion 8. A slit 4 is cut through the band portion 8 and extending a suitable distance into the lower crown portion, I. A band covering ribbon I is now formed of silk or other suitable material, wide enough to cover the outer and inner surfaces of the band portion 8, and longer than the circumference of the band portion 8 by a suitable extension length 5. The ends of the band covering ribbon overlap and are provided with cooperating adjusting and fastening means here shown as a hook 2 on the end 5 and a series of eyelets 3 on the other end, the eyelets being spaced to afford variable sizing. The inner surface of the band covering ribbon I is tightly stitched to the felt band portion 8, while the outer surface is merely loosely stitched or tacked thereto at the very top I l of the ribbon, the inner tight stitching 9 and the tacking I I being more clearly shown in Figure 3. Thus the hook 2 connects only to the eyelets 3 and not at all to the felt band portion. The resulting stress is taken up by the ribbon surface covering and only indirectly distributed to the entire felt band circumference through the right stitching in the rear of the ribbon surface covering. The resulting stress distribution causes the ribbon surface covering to be stressed diagonally or along the bias, in which direction there is greatest flexibility and resiliency of the ribbon. Hence the tendency to tear or weaken the felt at any point is materially lessened, and a certain degree of elasticity is imparted to the total hat band circumference applied to the head of the wearer. In use, the hook 2 is inserted into successive eyelets 3 until the proper and desired headsize of the band is the inner side of the band portion, in which casea suitable flap must be provided to prevent the hook catching in the hair of the wearer, and of course the tight stitching would then be on the outside whereas the loose stitching would be on the inside.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention as shown in the description and the drawing is merely a preferred example of the same, and that various changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In 'a hat of the type described, an upper crown portion, a lower crown portion and head band having a slit formed therein, said head band having open ends, a band surface covering having its inner surface tightly stitched to the head band and its outer surface loosely stitched to the head band, said band surface covering having open ends and cooperating adjustable fastening means attached to the open ends.

2. In a hat of the type described, an upper crown portion, a lower crown portion and head band having a vertical slit formed therein and extending into said lower crown portion, said head band having open ends, a band surface covering having its inner surface tightly stitched to the head band and its outer surface loosely stitched to the head band, said band surface covering having open ends and cooperating hook and a spaced series of eyelets attached to the respective open ends of said band surface covering, said open ends being disposed in overlapping relation.

SIMON HAMERSHLAG. 

